Field Meetings. 149 



Hoddani liad for some time Carlyle's father as a tenant ; and 

 tlie latter asserted his independence in rugged style in an inter- 

 view which the son gleefully chronicles. 



On reaching Ecclefechan a visit was paid to the churchyard 

 in order to visit Carlyle's tomb. Along with his brother, Dr 

 Carlyle, he is commemorated by the central and most recent 

 stone of the three in the family plot. The names of the father 

 (who died in 1832), his two wives, and two daughters appear on 

 the stono to the right. The concluding part of the inscription 

 embodies a filial tribute which bears the clear imprint of the 

 author : " And here also now rests the above Margaret Aitken, 

 his second wife ; born at Whitestanes, Kirkmahoe, in Septr., 1771, 

 died at Scotsbrig on Christmas day, 1853. She brought him nine 

 children, whereof four sons and three daughters survive, grate- 

 fully reverent of such a father and such a mother." The grave of 

 Dr Archibald Arnott of Kirkconnell Hall, Napoleon's physician, 

 also claimed attention. The inscription sets forth the scenes of 

 his active service with the British army as a surgeon of the 20th 

 Foot, and adds : "At St. Helena he was the medical attendant 

 of Napoleon, whose esteem he won and whose last moments he 

 soothed." 



From the churchyard the party proceeded to the " Ai-ched 

 House," in which Carlyle first saw the light. The old stone 

 stair, worn with the footprints of many years, has now been 

 covered with wood. At the top of it are two apartments. The 

 one to the left is a very narrow room built over the arch. It 

 was at one time shewn as the actual birthplace ; but that the 

 important event occurred in the larger room, to the right, we 

 have certified by the hand of Carlyle himself, who, \ve may 

 presume, obtained the most authentic information on a subject 

 regarding which his personal recollections would be more than 

 hazy. A small photograph of the two houses is hung on the 

 wall of this larger room, and on the window of it Carlyle has 

 placed an asterisk, and below the photograph he has written — 

 " * Room where I was born ; to the middle of that Arch was my 

 Father's House, village of Ecclefechan; 4 deer., 1795. T, 

 Carlyle. (Chelsea, 5 July, 1871.)" All the furniture in the room 

 and its modest embellishments (including this little picture) came 

 from the Cheyne Row house, and most of them from the study ; 

 so that the whole surrouidings are strongly reminiscent of 



